‘Rocks’ rocks the British Independent Film Awards winners

Sarah Gavron’s Rocks, about a young teenage girl finds herself struggling to take care of herself and her younger brother, led the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) with five, including Best British Independent Film, Best Supporting Actor (D’angelou Osei Kissiedu) and Best Supporting Actress (Kosar Ali). The film came in with 15 nominations, the second highest total.

Remi Weekes’s horror hit His House was next with four wins including Best Director for Weekes and Best Actress for Wunmi Mosaku, best known for HBO’s Lovecraft Country. Anthony Hopkins was named Best Actor for The Father, which also won Best Screenplay. Riz Ahmed earned the win for Debut Screenwriter for Mogul Mowgli.

Saint Maud, which entered with 17 nominations, won Debut Director for Rose Glass and the previously announced award for cinematography.

Here is the full list of BIFA winners.

Best British Independent Film: Rocks

Best Director: Remi Weekes, His House

Best Actor: Anthony Hopkins, The Father
Best Actress: Wunmi Mosaku, His House
Best Supporting Actor: D’angelou Osei Kissiedu, Rocks
Best Supporting Actress: Kosar Ali, Rocks

Best Screenplay: Florian Zeller and Christopher Hampton, The Father

Best International Independent Film: Nomadland
Best Documentary: The Reason I Jump

Most Promising Newcomer: Kosar Ali, Rocks
The Douglas Hickox Award (Best Debut Director): Rose Glass, Saint Maud
Best Debut Screenwriter: Riz Ahmed, Mogul Mowgli
Breakthrough Producer: Irene Gurtubai, Limbo
The Raindance Discovery Award: Perfect 10

Best British Short Film: The Long Goodbye

Previously announced

Best Casting: Lucy Pardee, Rocks
Best Cinematography: Ben Fordesman, Saint Maud
Best Costume Design: Charlotte Walter, Misbehaviour
Best Editing: Yorgos Lamprinos, The Father
Best Effects: Pedro Sabrosa, Stefano Pepin, His House
Best Make Up and Hair Design: Jill Sweeney, Misbehaviour
Best Music: Paul Corley, Mogul Mowgli
Best Production Design: Jacqueline Abrahams, His House
Best Sound: Nick Ryan, Ben Baird, Sara de Oliveira – The Reason I Jump

• Author
• Recent Posts

Erik Anderson

Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.

He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.

Latest posts by Erik Anderson (see all)

• 2026 Critics Choice Awards Land Early January 2026 Date - April 25, 2025
• Adam Sandler in ‘Happy Gilmore 2,’ ‘KPop Demon Hunters,’ Double Tyler Perry Headed to Netflix This Summer - April 25, 2025
• 2025 Outer Critics Circle Award Nominations: ‘Death Becomes Her’ Leads with 12 - April 25, 2025